Method and apparatus for heating buildings



NOV. 3, 1942. PRATT 2,300,962

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HEATING BUILDINGS Original Filed June 10, 1935 Patented Nov. 3, 1942 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HEATING BUILDINGS Elmer J. Pratt, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Dole Valve Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application June 10, 1935, Serial No. 25,731 Renewed Sept. 20, 1939 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for heating buildings and has as its object to provide a new and improved method and apparatus of this description.

The invention has as a further object to provide a heating system by means of which the different radiators at diiferent distances from the source of steam supply will all be brought up to their full heating capacity substantially simultaneously.

The invention has as a further object to provide a method and apparatus for heating buildings by means of which the air from the several radiators at different distances from the source of steam supply will escape from the radiators at the same rate of flow.

The invention has as a further object to secure the foregoing result in an air or vacuum system of steam heating.

The invention has as a further object to secure this result by individual control of the radiators and by providing an especially ar ranged valve for this purpose.

The invention has other objects which will.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View through one form of vacuum valve to be used on the radiators;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through a vacuum valve, showing a modified construction, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional View taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown diagrammatically a steam heating system wherein there is a boiler I from which steam is delivered to one or more mains 2, the steam passing from the main or mains into the different feeding pipes 3, 4, etc., which extend to the different parts of the building. Connected with these feeding pipes are a series of radiators 5, 5a, 5b, 50, etc.

In the present system the steam pipes are all left fully open and unobstructed so that the steam enters the radiator through the pipes unobstructed and preferably uncontrolled so far as the admission pipes are concerned. The result desired is secured by providing each radiator with a vacuum air valve so constructed that the air will be discharged from all the radiators at substantially the same rate of flow regardless of their distance from the source of steam supply, the radiators all being filled with steam at substantially the same time. Referring now to Fig. 2, wherein one form of vacuum air valve for securing this result is shown, this valve is provided with a casing 6. A screw threaded nipple 'l is provided by means of which the valve is connected with the radiator. Within the valve casing is an elastic device which expands under pressure, such as the diaphragm or bellows 8. These bellows are mounted upon a support 9, attached to the base III of the vacuum air valve. The bottom of the bellows is open and the top is closed by a part II, to which is connected a movable hollow member l2 which is provided at its base with the seat [3. Located within the valve casing is a hollow member I4 which acts as a float and which also contains expansible material which expands when heated. This float l4 rests upon a support [5 on the inside of the valve and its bottom is of such materialthat when the expansible material therein is expanded,

' the bottom of the float will be pushed outwardly,

and. when the material therein contracts, it will be moved back to its original position.

Connected to the end of the float M is a valve member l6 which cooperates with the seat l3 on the hollow member l2. This valve is part of a sphere, preferably hemi spherical, and its surface, of whatever size, is of true spherical form.

Under these conditions there is a complete and proper seating of the valve member on its seat regardless of the tilting or inclining of the float in actual operation. 7

The hollow member I2 fits into a guide l1, which is attached to the casing so as to be fixed in position. This guide is preferably enlarged at its upper end l8 and carries an adjustable member l9 which may be adjusted as desired. Between the lower end of the adjustable member l9 and the upper end of the hollow member I2 is a space 26 which forms the discharge opening of the valve, through which air is discharged from the valve into the outside atmosphere, the air being discharged through opening 20a in the guiding element l7 and the cap 201). Located in proper relation to the hollow member 12 is an elastic resisting device which resists the upward movement of the hollow movable member [2 as the bellows expand under the pressure therein. This elastic resisting device as herein shown consists of a spring 2|, which fits into a recess in the upper end l8 of the guiding member I1 and surrounds the end of the adjustable member l9.

This spring is arranged so that normally it is in its fully expanded condition or at full length when the pressure inside the casing is equal to that of the atmosphere. As the pressure rises in the valve the movable hollow member 12 is moved upwardly so as to decrease the size of the discharge opening 20, and this movement is opposed and controlled by the elastic resisting de vice 2|.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3 the parts are the same as shown in Fig. 2 and have been given the same reference numerals, the difference being that the elastic resistingdevice or spring 2| is omitted,

One of the valves is connected to each of the radiators so that they will act simultaneously in connection with the radiators, each radiator being independently controlled by its valve.

The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

When the heating system is started up the radiators are filled with air and this air must be discharged from the radiators to fill them. This invention provides means by which air from all the radiators is discharged at substantially the same rate of flow, regardless of their distance from the source of steam supply, so that all the radiators will be simultaneously filled with steam at the same rate of flow. When the system is in operation and the vacuum air valve is used it is of course understood that when the pressure in the system drops below atmosphere the bellows 8 contracts and moves the movable member l2 down into contact with the valve member It, so as to securely seat the valve memher and completely shut oif the communication between the inside of the entire heating system and the outside atmosphere. As the internal pressure is lowered there will be a vacuum in the system.

In the present heating system the steam pipes are preferably left as originally in the old system, being fully open and there is provided a valve for each radiator, the valves being arranged so that the escape of air from all the radiators is substantially at the same rate of flow. Since the radiators that are farthest from the boiler have less pressure of steam forcing out the air, it is necessary that the vent openings of the air valves be larger in these radiators. The air valve is therefore arranged so that the size of the vent opening for the air is regulated by the internal pressure in the radiator and the valve so that in the radiators where the internal pressure is low, the vent opening will be larger and in the radiators where the pressure is higher the vent opening will be smaller, and since the escape of the air depends on the size of the vent opening and the pressure, it will be seen that by means of this arrangement equal discharge of air from the several radiators can be secured by causing the discharge opening 20 of the valve to vary inversely as the pressure in the valve casing.

I have illustrated a simple arrangement where there is a movable member connected with the bellows of the vacuum air valve and an opposed stationary member, the opening between the two members being the escape opening for the air and these openings being substantially the same in all valves when not in use. When the system is in operation the pressure in the bellows 8 moves the movable member I2 up toward the member l9 so as to decrease the size of the discharge opening Zil. In the preferred construction there is provided a spring 21 which opposes the movement of the pressure in the bellows and by regulating the relation between this spring and the bellows, we can secure a proper change in the size of the opening to secure an equal venting of the air at the same rate of flow from all the radiators so that they will all come to heat at the same time.

It is important that the spring or elastic resisting device 2i should increase in resisting power as the vent orifice is lessened in area. Otherwise the bellows would expand too rapidly and shut the orifice completely at too early a time. The spring which opposes the pressure of the bellows acts by pressure and not temperature and is independent of temperature.

The seating face of the valve member I6 on the end of the float is a perfect spherical shape and this insures a complete seat enclosure regardless of the tilted position of the float.

The greatest venting opening of the valve should be at the lowest pressure and the minimum venting opening should be comparable to that of the ordinary air valve. In other words, the venting openin should be such that when the minimum opening is secured there is a construction like the conventional valve. In other words, the minimum opening in the high pressure compares with the venting opening of the conventional valve, that is the set opening of the conventional valve.

The opening through the movable part moved by the bellows should preferably have substantially the same cross-sectional area as the escape area between the seat l3 and the valve member H3 in the normal position, so that the escape opening will start to decrease as the bellows starts to move.

When the radiator becomes filled with steam, this steam enters the valves and causes the material in the float to expand, and this causes the valve member [6 to be moved up to close the vent So that steam will not escape into the atmosphere.

It will be seen that there is provided a method of heating buildings which consists in providing a series of steam receiving heating elements, at separated points, supplied from the same source of steam and discharging air at substantially the same rate of flow from the several heating elements responsive to the entrance of steam therein, whereby all the heating elements will be substantially simultaneously filled with steam, at the same rate of flow.

The various parts must be properly proportioned to secure the results desired and to get the best results, the vent opening at all operating pressures of the system must be in proper proportion to the weight of the float so that the float will not rise prematurely to close the Vent to prevent the escape of air.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for heating buildings comprising a source of steam supply, an air valve device connected with each radiator, comprising a casing, having a free uncontrolled connection with the radiator, an air discharge vent for discharging air from said valve casing into the atmosphere, a diaphragm in the casing, a hollow movable member connected with said diaphragm and communicating with the interior of the casing, a stationary controlling member opposed to one end of said hollow movable member and a movable member for engaging and controlling the other end of said hollow movable member,

said hollow movable member being moved by the diaphragm, so as to decrease the size of the vent opening, when the pressure in the casing increases.

2. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising an air valve, comprising a casing, a float in said casing, an air discharge vent for discharging air from said valve casing into the atmosphere, a diaphragm in the casing, a hollow movable member connected with said diaphragm and extending into the interior of that part of the casing in whichthe float is located, a stationary member opposed to said hollow movable member and separated therefrom by a space, said space forming the vent opening for the air valve, said hollow movable member being moved by the diaphragm, so as to decrease the size of the vent opening when the pressure in the casing increases, and a valve member on said float which is moved when Water enters the casing to close said hollow member.

3. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising an air valve, comprising a casing, a float in said casing, an air discharge vent for discharging air from said valve casing into the atmosphere, a diaphragm in the casing, a, hollow movable member connected with said diaphragm and extending into the interior of that part of the casing in which the float is located, a stationary member opposed to said hollow movable member and separated therefrom] by a space, said space forming the vent opening for the air valve, said hollow movable member being moved by the diaphragm, so as to decrease the size of the vent opening when the pressure in the casing increases, an elastic resisting device for resisting the movement of said hollow movable member when it is moved to decrease the size of said vent opening, the resisting effect of said elastic resisting device increasing as the movement of said hollow movable member increases, and a valvemember on said float which is moved when water enters the casing to close said hollow member.

4. An apparatus for heating buildings by means of a steam system, comprising a source of steam sup-ply, a series of radiators connected with said source of steam supply and located at different distances from the source of steam supply, connections leading from the source of steam supply to each of said radiators closed to the outside atmosphere between the radiators and the source of steam supply, air valve devices connected with each of said radiators, each air valve device comprising a casing having a free open connection with the radiator, a discharge passageway for discharging fluid from the valve casing, which extends into the valve casing at one end and communicates with the exterior of the valve casing at the other end, a movable controlling device at one end of said passageway, for controlling the flow of fluid therethrough, and a stationary controlling device at the other end of said passageway, for controlling the flow of fluid therethrough, and means on the interior of said casing, responsive to variations of pressure in the system, for moving said passageway to inversely vary the distance of the ends of said passageway from said controlling members, so that when the steam in the system is turned on, the radiators will all be filled with steam at substantially the same time.

ELMER J. PRATT. 

